Our season review for the 2013 British Hillclimb Championship continues today with a look at the driver who was one of the big stars of the 2012 series, and who was hoping for big things in 2013….

The GWR Raptor crew on Jersey in 2012.

In part 5 of our BHC Season Review we look at the top-scoring driver who didn’t complete a full season. Due to reliability issues and a shunt the beautiful GWR Raptor missed a few events at the start of the season, but Jos Goodyear and the Raptor were soon back on the pace.

A very well-known multiple British title-winning hillclimber visited the Team Haimes paddock spot at Craigantlet and was very keen to have a good look at the GR59.

Gould’s first champion with Gould’s latest car in the Craigantlet paddock

Having had huge success through the late 1970s in March and Toleman chassis, German architect Chris Cramer finally claimed his first title in 1980 with a Hart-powered March 782. Having sold the March on to current-day Pilbeam driver Billy Morris, Cramer joined forces with David Gould for 1985 and the duo installed Cramer’s Hart engine into the previously BDA-powered Gould 84 chassis.

On the Friday night prior to the British Hillclimb Championship round at Craigantlet, near Belfast, British Championship drivers and crews were invited to a reception at the wonderful Stormont Parliament Building.

The magnificent Stormont Parliament Building

The event was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Craigantlet Hillclimb and a number of previous winners, organisers, current drivers and (in a very sharp move) many local residents were inviting to have drinks and a tour of this fascinating and historic building.